The Obedience Of Faith

Obedience to God is an important matter. It is one of the primary evidences that one is saved.

J. Vernon McGee said that faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone. We do not have faith in God if we do not obey Him. Obedience to God and faith in Him always go together. Disobedience of Him never pleases Him. It never causes a good result for us either. When we do not obey Him, at that point we do not have faith in Him. Without obedience, faith is worthless. Some seem to believe that just enough faith to receive Jesus is sufficient. But faith in Him must do at least two things. It must be faith enough to receive Him and it must be faith enough to confess Him before men. The first step of saving faith is receiving Him but other steps MUST follow. The other steps prove that the first step of faith was real and true.

We need to have faith in Him in all things and obey Him in all things.

Luke 6:46: And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Our Lord is the one we obey. If we obey anyone or anything other than Jesus or someone He wants us to obey, we obey an idol, at that point we have a different lord. No capital L in that kind of lord.

Romans 6:13, 16: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Matthew 6:24a: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. . . .

1 Samuel 15:22b: . . . Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Ephesians 3:17a: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; . . .

Romans 6:17: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Christ dwelling in our hearts should make us obedient to the Father as Jesus was obedient to Him. Faith in God was demonstrated by obedience in the New Testament and in the Old. We are not right with God when we disobey Him.

Jeremiah 11:1-4: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, 4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

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